Chapter 175: 38th Floor. Fairy Village (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 175: 38th Floor. Fairy Village (3)
He sharpened his senses to the limit, observing his opponent and preparing to react to any sudden strike.
How will it attack?
Kang Jun-hyeok considered every possibility.
Pixie’s illusion stared blankly at him. It had been given only one mission: protect the tree. Every principle of its existence revolved around that singular goal.
Thus, the illusion pondered.
Is the human before me a threat to the tree?
The answer came instantly: he was no threat at all. He wasn't even worth a thought. Having reached its conclusion, a massive veil manifested in front of the illusion.
“Hmm?”
Kang Jun-hyeok faltered. He watched the illusion’s response with confusion, but the truth soon dawned on him.
The illusion had no intention of fighting him at all.
“Well, now.”
With a look of disbelief, he tapped on the veil. It appeared incredibly thin, but the mana within was compressed to an infinite degree. It felt as solid as a hundred-meter-thick iceberg.
The tree’s mana.
The mana the tree had accumulated over eons was beyond measure. A barrier deployed by controlling that power was something he couldn't hope to pierce right now.
“This is unexpected.”
He hadn't imagined it would outright refuse to fight. If it tried to attack him, he could look for an opening, but there was no solution if it simply shut itself away.
The illusion’s eyes were vacant. She wasn't even looking at him. It was as if he held no value or meaning whatsoever—an attitude bordering on total dismissal.
However, Kang Jun-hyeok did not get angry. He simply thought calmly.
“Hmm.”
A tree that had absorbed and amplified the surrounding mana for thousands of years... the power contained within was akin to a bottomless abyss. And that power was linked to the illusion.
He had to sever that connection. He had to drag the illusion down into his domain.
What would be the best way to do that?
After a moment of thought, Kang Jun-hyeok smirked.
“Wait right there.”
Kang Jun-hyeok turned and left. Even then, the illusion showed no movement.
She was an illusion created by Pixie. She possessed self-awareness, but that was the extent of it; she felt no particular emotions. She placed no value on the human who had just attacked her. The only command given to her was to protect the tree.
There was no time limit. Even if the tree continued to grow until it devoured the planet itself and the world finally met its end, she would still be there, guarding it.
As she spent time in that meaningless void, the illusion suddenly realized something.
The human who had attacked her moments ago had climbed high up the tree and was attacking the branches.
It was a futile effort. The branches were merely extremities. Cutting them would have no real impact. Just as the illusion was about to ignore him again—
“…….”
Her expression changed for the first time.
Through the severed sections, miasma was seeping into the tree.
It wasn't some amateurish poison. It was a toxin capable of defiling and ruining a world, potent enough to affect the main body of the tree.
The illusion moved immediately. Kang Jun-hyeok smiled as if welcoming her.
“Hey there. Your being here must mean my actions are a threat, right?”
Kang Jun-hyeok brandished his sword.
He had previously defeated an adult Duneshade and had coated his weapon with the venom from its tail. Miasma was one of the properties most hostile to life. Furthermore, the Duneshade’s venom was a lethal toxin where a single drop could kill thousands. Even for a mystical tree, it was enough to cause an effect.
The human before her could interfere with her mission. The illusion’s expression shifted. The moment her mana began to gather to eliminate Kang Jun-hyeok, he snapped his fingers.
“Then try and keep up.”
`[Rift Movement]`
His body vanished perfectly, without leaving a single ripple of energy.
The illusion’s eyes widened. Soon, she felt an attack against the tree from a completely different location. She moved instantly, but in that brief interval, the tree had already taken significant damage.
“You’re here? See you again in five minutes.”
`[Stealth]`
Kang Jun-hyeok’s presence vanished beyond the illusion’s detection range. The illusion stood still, looking bewildered.
And exactly five minutes later.
Kang Jun-hyeok reappeared and attacked the tree. She moved quickly to defend, but he escaped again using Rift Movement. The illusion’s face slowly hardened.
Rumble!
Waves of mana shook the surroundings. It was an overwhelming display of power—one that even Kang Jun-hyeok couldn't defend against.
So, he simply evaded.
`[Stealth]`
The tree was massive. Its circumference spanned several kilometers, and it soared as high as the clouds. No matter how fast the illusion was, it took time to travel back and forth.
In contrast, Kang Jun-hyeok had Rift Movement. He could move without any delay, and his movements were unpredictable. In this situation, it was a power that bordered on absolute.
[Hmph.]
[How unpleasant. This brings back bad memories.]
The Master of All Weapons and Eldiria muttered bitterly, as if remembering their past struggle against the Hunger Growing in the Rift.
No matter how she tried to block him, he moved freely and attacked the tree. Miasma was slowly accumulating within it.
The illusion grimaced. Irritation flickered in her expression.
Vroooom!
A massive veil enveloped the tree. From the roots to the branches, it covered everything perfectly. Kang Jun-hyeok looked as if he had expected this.
“That’s more like it.”
If she couldn't block him, she would protect the whole thing. However, that required a massive expenditure of power. Kang Jun-hyeok appeared before the illusion. She scowled at him.
“It’s strange seeing that face on Pixie.”
Speaking lightly, Kang Jun-hyeok assessed his opponent’s strength. The power currently felt from the illusion wasn't that great. Most of her mana was being diverted to protect the tree.
He had succeeded in dragging her down into his domain.
Kang Jun-hyeok happily drew his sword.
`[Judgment of the Law]`
“Now, let’s do this properly.”
* * *
Kang Jun-hyeok tensed his entire body, preparing to counter the opponent's attack.
The mana he felt was, at most, somewhere between the First and Second Rank. In a pure contest of strength, he could win easily. However, his opponent was the illusion of a Transcendent. She possessed that being's knowledge and techniques.
I wonder how she’ll fight.
With a grim face, the illusion moved her mana.
Kiiing.
The mana began to take physical form. Soon, a box the size of a human fist was created. It floated around the illusion like a drone.
Kiiiiing!
Then, a beam of light shot from the Mana Box toward Kang Jun-hyeok.
The power contained within wasn't particularly great. Kang Jun-hyeok raised his sword lightly to block it. But the moment the sword made contact, his expression changed.
Screeeech!
With a violent roar, Kang Jun-hyeok’s body was pushed back. He strained his arms, but he still couldn't stop the momentum. He gritted his teeth.
Clang!
Only after drawing upon his internal energy was he barely able to deflect it. Kang Jun-hyeok’s face hardened.
Kiiing.
Beams of light poured out simultaneously from the boxes floating in the air. Kang Jun-hyeok kicked off the ground.
Boom!
The earth shattered and was destroyed. It was a scene of intense destruction. Kang Jun-hyeok gripped his sword.
`[Sword Ki and Sword Wind]`
Craaaash!
Sharp sword ki rose up and collided with the beams of light. The power in the sword ki should have been enough to shatter the light.
However, it was the sword ki that broke.
Clang!
The sword ki shattered like glass in an instant. The beams of light traced trajectories through the air, swarming from all directions to target Kang Jun-hyeok. He hurriedly raised his sword.
K-boom!
With a violent impact, Kang Jun-hyeok was sent flying backward.
“……Ha.”
He clicked his tongue, shaking out his aching arm muscles.
The amount of mana itself was only between the First and Second Rank. It was a level Kang Jun-hyeok should have been able to crush with raw power. Yet, he was the one being pushed back. The reason was simple.
How on earth did she weave this?
The box was forcibly weaving and combining mana to drive its quality and purity to extreme heights. It was at a level even he found difficult to defend against.
Kang Jun-hyeok possessed the Observation skill at Rank B. He could find the answers to all things in the world. However, even that Observation skill couldn't give him an answer regarding the box.
A notable time the Observation skill had failed to activate was when he faced the Victors. This meant Pixie’s box possessed laws on par with those of the Victors. The Master of All Weapons muttered:
[The Mana Box. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that. It was one of her specialties.]
Kiiing!
Light poured from the box once more. Evading was the right answer rather than blocking. Kang Jun-hyeok moved his body nimbly, simultaneously looking for an opening.
`[Rift Movement]`
He moved behind the illusion and thrust his sword. In that instant, the Mana Box moved.
Clang!
The box collided with the sword, firmly protecting Pixie. Kang Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue.
So the box itself can act as a shield.
It was incredibly durable, too. It was of a hardness that would be difficult to even crack without significant force.
Kiiing!
Light poured out. Kang Jun-hyeok activated Block to defend. As his body staggered back, he used Balancing to regain his stance.
Rumble!
The light shook the surroundings. Kang Jun-hyeok kicked off the ground. Even though it was a simple attack, it was difficult to avoid. He channeled his internal energy and twisted his body quickly.
Even so, he couldn't dodge everything. A beam of light struck his shoulder. He grimaced at the heavy impact.
The health consumed by that single hit was 300. If he allowed only six more hits, his health would be completely depleted.
This is tricky.
Kang Jun-hyeok was coolly assessing the illusion’s power. But the illusion was doing the same to him.
The opponent’s strength could not block the light from the boxes. Furthermore, he could not pierce the boxes' defense. In that case, she would simply crush him with force.
Having made her judgment, the illusion flicked her hand. Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened.
Mana began to take form one by one until seven boxes appeared in the air.
She can handle more than one?
Kiiing!
In an instant, beams of light poured toward Kang Jun-hyeok.
It had been hard enough to deal with one, but now there were seven. Each box moved with a complex autonomy, as if it had a mind of its own, intent on killing him. Boundary of Death Awakening activated, enhancing his stats. He moved his body rapidly, evading the onslaught. The immediate area was devastated in an instant.
It was impossible to dodge everything. If that was the case, he would rather attack.
He stepped forward, seizing a gap in the pouring light.
`[Single Point Penetration]`
Boom!
The earth gouged out instantly as his body surpassed the speed of sound. The sharp tip of his blade sought to pierce the illusion’s throat.
A Mana Box flew in at high speed to protect her. Kang Jun-hyeok poured even more strength into his arm. As Single Point Penetration reached Rank E, an effect had been added that dealt a powerful shock if the opponent defended.
And one more thing.
`[Thrust]`
Skreeee!
Even greater force was applied to the Mana Box. Unable to withstand it, cracks began to spread across the box. Kang Jun-hyeok prepared to shatter it completely.
At that moment.
Snap.
The illusion snapped her fingers.
The Mana Box split apart, dividing into even smaller boxes.
Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened. The smaller, divided boxes instantly pinned him down. Then, the other six boxes surrounded him.
Kiiiiing!
The light swallowed Kang Jun-hyeok whole.